Church Discipline

Lead Vocalist (Joel)

Welcome & Announcements (Mike K.)

Good morning family!

If you received a connect card, please fill it out and put in offering plate

Announcements:

1) Discover Class

2) Good Friday

3) Easter Sunday

Invite friends/neighbors

Show up early for breakfast! (No SS)

Please park in the back lot

Please sit closer to the front

Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Zech. 9:9-10)

Prayer of Praise (Mendi Keatts)

Hosanna (Praise is Rising)

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

Prayer of Confession (Joel Whitcomb), Failure to value church membership

Assurance of Pardon (Rev. 5:6-10)

Is He Worthy?

Good and Gracious King

Scripture Reading (2 Thess. 3:13-18)

You can find it on page _________ in the black Bibles

Pastoral Prayer (Mike K.)

Prayer for PBC—Help us to maintain meaningful membership

Prayer for kingdom partner—Nansemond River Baptist (Ryan Brice)

Prayer for US—Against homelessness

Prayer for the world—Yemen*

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

START TIMER!!!

Is it ever right to remove an individual from a community for the good of everyone else?

Last month the federal government got in hot water for deporting hundreds of Venezuelan nationals, some to a notorious prison in El Salvador known as CECOT [say-coat]. Removing these individuals from the United States of America was, they claimed, vital to protect America’s security and identity.

Supporters saw it as a necessary stand against crime.

Critics argued it trampled human rights and ignored a humanitarian crisis.

Americans disagree on how we should remove people from our country.

And we disagree on who should be removed.

But most Americans don’t argue about whether it should happen at all.

Yes, deportation is a highly controversy, emotionally-charged issue.

But it becomes clearer in the minds of most Americans when we’re talking about removing people who threaten our society.

A recent poll showed that 83% of Americans are in favor of deporting illegal immigrants who have been convicted of a violent crime. [1]

Sometimes the only way to protect the integrity of a community is to remove those who threaten its wellbeing.

If that is true in a community like the United States of America, it shouldn’t surprise us that sometimes it would also be true in the community of a local church.

Turn to 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Today we come to the final words the Apostle Paul wrote to this local church in Thessalonica.

Even though it’s a new church, even though Paul wasn’t able to stay there as long as he would’ve liked, this church is thriving in many ways.

They’re centered on the gospel, engaged in fruitful ministry, they’re confident in God’s Word, and they love one another.

But despite all the good that’s happening in this church, it wouldn’t take much for all of it to fall apart.

If the local church never removes those who threaten its purity and integrity, the entire church community is at risk.

So the Apostle Paul concludes his final letter to this church with something kind of like deportation instructions.

The Big idea I hope to communicate with God’s help this morning is that A thriving local church will hold members accountable to live the faith they profess.

The way local churches hold people accountable is through something called CHURCH DISCIPLINE. It’s the process that a Bible-believing local church uses to remove those who threaten the wellbeing of the community.

Like deportation, church discipline is often a highly controversial, emotionally-charged issue.

So we need to work carefully and slowly to understand what church discipline is and why it matters.

We’re going to examine Three Truths About Church Discipline from our text:

In verse 13, we’ll consider The CONTEXT for Church Discipline,…

In verse 14a, we’ll examine The PROCESS for Church Discipline,…

Then in verses 14b-18, we’ll explore The RESULTS of Church Discipline,…

Let’s begin by considering…

1) The CONTEXT for Church Discipline

2 Thessalonians 3:13—As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

This verse serves as a transition between what we learned last week and what we’re discussing today.

If you remember last Sunday, the Apostle Paul gave the Thessalonian Christian instructions about the importance of hard work. Now he concludes that idea with a plea to his readers to press on, even when the work is painful.

But this verse also sets the stage for what he’s about to say about church discipline in verse 14.

Notice Paul makes it clear WHO he is talking to in this verse: brothers.

These are not instructions for a country. They’re not instructions for the workplace. They’re not instructions for your neighborhood. They’re not instructions for the family. They’re instructions for the local church.

If you don’t get this, you’re going to misapply what Paul says in the verses that follow!

I grew up in a Christian culture where it was quite common to avoid unbelievers out of fear they might contaminate us.

I still remember asking my parents if I could play baseball when I was a kid. I was told I couldn’t because the kids would be a bad influence on me.

In my parent’s defense, this is what they were taught! It was bomb-shelter Christianity, where the most important goal is to protect your kids from the contaminating influences of the world.

But here’s the problem: your kids are already contaminated! Sin is not a problem outside of us, it’s a problem inside of us!

These verses are not about avoiding unbelievers but avoiding professing believers!

In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul makes this even clearer…

1 Corinthians 5:9–13—I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

The Bible’s teaching on church discipline is NOT about judging the world. It’s NOT about avoiding the world. It’s about holding professing believers accountable.

Not everybody who says they’re a Christian is a Christian!

Church discipline is for the person who claims to be a Christian but refuses to live like a Christian.

A thriving local church will hold members accountable to live the faith they profess.

That’s the context for church discipline. It’s not about judging unbelievers, but holding professing Christians accountable.

But how do we do it? Consider with me next…

2) The PROCESS for Church Discipline

One reason some have expressed such disagreement with the deportation controversy in our country is because they want to see a clear and consistent process. Some are afraid the government might abuse its authority and remove people who shouldn’t be removed. That’s why it’s important we do these things according to the rule of law.

And when it comes to the church, it’s no different. Church discipline isn’t something that should be done on a whim. It’s not something we should make up on the fly. It should be done according to the process outlined in Scripture.

2 Thessalonians 3:14a—If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him…

I think we can summarize Paul’s teaching here using three words: Verify, Identify, and Avoid.

Let’s look at these one at a time…

A) VERIFY the Unrepentant Sin

We are supposed to identify and avoid the person who “does not obey.”

The verb “obey” in the original language is in the present tense, which indicates an action that is ongoing, habitual, or currently happening from the speaker’s perspective.

Paul is NOT saying we avoid the person who disobeys one time. If we did that, the introverts would be so happy because we would never have to talk to anybody!

This is referring to a person who is CONTINUING in disobedience and STUBBORNLY REFUSING to stop.

But how do we verify that? How do we know if this is just a one-time failure or a persistent unrepentant sin?

We interpret Scripture with Scripture!

We go to other passages that talk about this issue for wisdom and help.

One of the clearest passages that speaks to this issue is...

Matthew 18:15–17—“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

How do we verify if someone is persisting in sin the way Paul describes in 2 Thessalonians?

First, you go to him or her one-on-one.

“You say you’re a Christian, but you’re disobeying what God’s Word says!”

If the sinner admits their sin and turns from it, great!

But if they stubbornly refuse to listen to you...

You bring one or two people with you.

Maybe it will be a pastor or a close friend. But it’ll be someone from your church!

By the way, I agree with Jonathan Leeman who writes that we should use this process for sins that are...

OUTWARD,...

SERIOUS, and...

UNREPENTANT. [2]

Just remember the acronym OSU.

We should only exercise church discipline with sins that have an outward manifestation, not heart sins like covetousness, pride, or greed. If you cannot point to an outward manifestation of the sin, it’s probably something you need to cover rather than confront.

Also, the sin should be serious. It’s the type of sin that calls into question the person’s profession of faith. This is not a sin that every Christian battles, like impatience, but the types of sins that you need to be putting to death if you’re truly a follower of Jesus.

And the sin should be unrepentant. If the sinner repents, the process should end.

But if they stubbornly refuse to listen you...

Involve the entire church.

This doesn’t mean we publish the sin in the bulletin or talk about it during a Sunday morning service.

Typically at PBC we do this at a meeting with just the members. And typically I’ll say to the church, “If you know this person caught in sin, would you encourage them to repent? If you don’t, would you just pray?”

And again, if the sinner admits their sin and turns from it the matter is resolved.

But if they stubbornly refuse to listen to the entire church, Jesus says to treat them like a Gentile and a tax collector.

I think that final step corresponds with what Paul says back in 2 Thessalonians 3:14…

B) IDENTIFY the Unrepentant Sinner

What do we do with the person who claims to be a Christian but refuses to turn from their sin?

Paul says the local church should “have nothing to do with him.”

The word there literally means to write the person’s name down.

This may be one of the most powerful arguments for church membership in the entire Bible.

Apparently the early church had a list of names who were considered a part of the local church and also a list of names of people who had been removed from the local church.

The idea of a lone ranger Christian who was not a part of a local church is foreign to the New Testament!

If you’re a Christian, you should be a part of a local church.

By the way, that means more than just attending a church. It means belonging to one.

If you’re interested in learning more about what it means to belong to a local church, I’d love to talk with you after the service. You’re also welcome you to join me on Sunday mornings at 9:15 for our Discover Class.

Perhaps one reason why so many are afraid to belong to a local church is that they’re afraid to be held accountable the way Paul describes here.

But I think most PBC members would agree that we NEED that level of accountability.

Without it, we would likely fall apart and fall away!

When someone CLAIMS to be a Christian yet still CLINGS to their sin, we must identify them before the congregation.

But finally we must...

C) AVOID the Unrepentant Sinner

When a professing believer persists in unrepentant sin, it’s not enough to merely identify the sinner.

Paul says the local church should “have nothing to do with him.”

This is similar to what Paul said back in…

2 Thessalonians 3:6—Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

You need to understand, this is the final step of a formal church process. This is not something you get to decide on your own when someone is annoying you.

If you’re a member of this church and you’re avoiding another member of this church without going through this process you are in sin!

We don’t avoid people because it’s easier or because we’re mad. We do it in very specific cases in obedience to the Scriptures!

But what will it look like when a local church does take this step?

Personally, I don’t think this always means we have to completely shun such a person.

Fundamentally this means the relationship has changed.

We’re no longer treating the person as if he is a Christian.

We remove him from our membership list. We don’t serve him communion any longer. We don’t hang out the way we used to. Now when we interact with this person we’re urging them to repent and be restored.

All that said, I think there probably are unique, very rare instances where a church might apply this very literally.

Consider Paul’s words to a pastor named Titus in…

Titus 3:10—As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.

Sometimes a professing believer may persist in a sin so divisive that we might even ask such a person not to return.

If you’re a member at PBC, you know these aren’t hypothetical scenarios. These are real, tragic, painful, situations that sometimes really happen among the people of God.

We don’t take these steps because we’re mad at people or we just don’t want to deal with them any longer.

We do it because...

A thriving local church will hold members accountable to live the faith they profess.

But we must be careful to do so according to the process the Bible outlines.

If this feels unloving and judgmental to you, consider with me…

3) The RESULTS of Church Discipline

What happens when a nation deports illegal immigrants who are guilty of criminal activity? It exposes the criminal, it serves as a warning that deters future criminals from entering the country, and it protects the law-abiding citizens of a nation.

There are similar results when a local church is faithful to exercise church discipline.

No matter how unloving this might feel to you, the reality is the results of a church faithfully exercising church discipline are GOOD!

Paul mentions three results of church discipline.

The first result is…

A) SHAME

Why do we verify, identify, and avoid the professing Christian who persists in sin?

Look at the end of…

2 Thessalonians 3:14b— … that he may be ashamed.

The goal of treating a professing believer in this way is that he or she might feel the weight of their sin, be ashamed of it, and then run to Jesus in repentance.

If we act like nothing’s wrong when a professing Christian persists in their sin, they’ll just keep doing it!

The goal here is not to just make a person feel bad, but make them feel bad so that they’ll turn from their sins and be restored to God’s people!

Like a surgeon who cuts in order to heal, church discipline cuts to the heart of the unrepentant sinner in order that they might be restored.

As Paul writes in…

Galatians 6:1—Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

If we truly care about people who claim to be Christians, we will hold them accountable to what God’s Word says, even if sometimes that brings shame.

The second result of faithful church discipline is…

B) WARNING

2 Thessalonians 3:15—Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Not only does church discipline bring shame to the individual persisting in sin, it also serves as a warning.

That warning might go something like this: “Sir, Ma’am, you cannot claim to be a Christian and continue to live like this. Jesus told His hearers not to call Him “Lord” if they refused to do what He said [3]. And you are not a Christian if you refuse to do what He says. So we plead with you to turn from your sins and trust in Jesus before it’s too late!”

Sometimes when a local church is faithful to warn someone in this way, God uses the warning in their lives to bring them to repentance.

That’s the story of one PBC member. Years ago he was disciplined by another church for refusing to repent of his sin.

Over time, God used the warnings issued by this church to help this man see his sin, turn from it, and trust in Jesus for salvation.

That’s what we hope and pray for!

But even when the sinner doesn’t respond to those warnings, even if he or she blames everybody else, God can still use that warning to help the church.

In a letter to a pastor named Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote this…

1 Timothy 5:20—As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

God uses church discipline to warn, not just the sinning member, but the entire congregation.

We saw this happen a year ago when we had a serious case of church discipline here at PBC. Many of you were using this as an opportunity to examine your own lives. Some of you became more serious about following Jesus because you saw how serious we are about following Jesus as a church.

The third result of faithful church discipline…

C) BLESSING

Just like removing criminals from public life protects society, removing unrepentant sinners from the local church protects the church.

In verses 16-18 Paul concludes this final letter to the Thessalonians with a word of blessing. But it also shows us what happens when we’re faithful to exercise church discipline...

2 Thessalonians 3:16a—Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

What happens when a church is faithful to do what God says? Peace!

Could it be one reason so many churches have so much conflict is that they’ve failed to actually keep their members accountable to God’s Word?

PBC: We shouldn’t expect the Lord of peace to bless us with peace if we’re not willing to obey Him!

Paul continues…

2 Thessalonians 3:16b—… The Lord be with you all.

But we need to remember that Jesus is present everywhere. So what Paul is praying for is a special manifestation of Jesus’ presence.

God promises His blessing in a special way to the churches who are faithful to obey His Word.

We see a similar idea on display in…

Matthew 18:20—“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

I grew up hearing this verse quoted whenever there was a really small crowd at church for a Sunday night gathering or a prayer meeting.

But the context is clearly referring to a church that is faithfully exercising church discipline—that’s what Jesus is talking about in that section of Matthew 18.

So the promise is that if we’re faithful to hold each other accountable the way God’s Word says, God Himself will be present to bless us and help us when it gets really hard.

But that’s not all…

2 Thessalonians 3:17–18—I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Paul has probably been dictating the contents of this letter to a friend.

But now, at the conclusion he picks up the pen himself.

And with his own hand he writes this final word of blessing to God’s people: may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

What is grace? It’s the undeserved kindness of God.

If we’re faithful to hold church members accountable, we will receive the blessing of God’s peace, the blessing of God’s presence, and the blessing of God’s grace.

And we can have confidence that we will receive these incredible gifts, because of what God has already done.

Two thousand years ago, on a day we call Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the city of Jersualem.

He rode in on a donkey, as the prophet Zechariah predicted 500 years earlier.

He was celebrated as a king.

But the religious leaders had decided it was time to remove one man from the community for the good of everyone else.

So four days later, under cover of darkness, they arrested Jesus as a common criminal.

They tried Him before a kangaroo court of false witnesses.

They condemned Him to die.

Then they took Him outside the city to die in shame away from the community.

On the cross Jesus was treated as if He had done all the evil that you and I have done. He was treated as if He was an unrepentant sinner.

But Jesus did not die as a hapless victim of Roman oppression and Jewish rage.

He died on purpose. He died outside the camp to pay the penalty we deserved.

Because of His death, we can have peace with God.

Because of His death, we can enjoy the presence of God.

Because of His death, we receive grace from God.

Have you received that, friend? You can if you will repent and believe!

And because He rose from death, all authority belongs to Him.

So we obey His Word, even when it’s hard, because He is our Lord!

With God’s help, let’s strive to be a church that will hold each other accountable to live out the faith we profess.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Old Rugged Cross

Benediction (Romans 1:7)